Grayling ‘makes no apologies’ for giving Brexit ferry contract to company with no ships

Chris Grayling has defended the decision to award a £13.8m contract to charter extra ferries in the event of a no-deal Brexit to a company that has no ships.

The transport secretary told media: “I make no apologies for supporting a new British business. We have looked very carefully at this business. We have put in place a tight contract to make sure they can deliver for us,” he added.

His comments come just days after the government awarded three contracts to charter extra ferries to ease congestion if the United Kingdom fails to secure a trade deal before leaving the EU in March.

The smallest contract was won by Seaborne Freight, a British business that has never previously operated a ferry route, raising concern about whether the new service would be ready.